TheFury
Oh, the humanity!!
What's up folks -
I'm in the market for a new light fixture for my grow rack - I've just expanded out onto a third shelf!
Now here is my dilemma. I will neatly bullet this out for you for your reading pleasure:
So I've read some places that you should be able to switch T8HO bulbs into standard T8 fixtures without issues, but does this apply to all types of ballasts? I have a few pairs of those cheap Lithonia 2x 4ft T8 shop lights that you get at Home Depot for $17... will the ballasts in those be able to handle the bump up to T8HO?
Any resources you can point me to, or any advice you can offer, would be much appreciated.
Also - can any of you make a compelling argument (keep in mind that I am still highly impressionable at this stage in the game) as to why I should spring for a T5HO fixture instead of retrofitting my current lights with T8HOs?
I'm in the market for a new light fixture for my grow rack - I've just expanded out onto a third shelf!
Now here is my dilemma. I will neatly bullet this out for you for your reading pleasure:
- T5HO fixtures are awesome
- T5HO fixtures generate tons of heat and draw a good deal more power than T8 fixtures
- T5HO fixtures are pricy
- My apartment has crappy wiring and I don't want to strain the electrical outlets in my grow room
- Because of said crappy wiring, I can't air condition the room (it's in my lease!) so I have to rely on fans and foggers to cool my grow space during the hottest months of summer... outside temperatures topped 105 degrees in July; I dare not guess what temperatures were inside my grow rack!
- I'm left with the tough task of finding a way to maximize the amount of light I can pump into my rack.
- My shelves are quite tall to allow my Neps room to grow; as a byproduct I'd like to be able to keep them as far away from lights as is practical which, again, means that I need lots of light.
So I've read some places that you should be able to switch T8HO bulbs into standard T8 fixtures without issues, but does this apply to all types of ballasts? I have a few pairs of those cheap Lithonia 2x 4ft T8 shop lights that you get at Home Depot for $17... will the ballasts in those be able to handle the bump up to T8HO?
Any resources you can point me to, or any advice you can offer, would be much appreciated.
Also - can any of you make a compelling argument (keep in mind that I am still highly impressionable at this stage in the game) as to why I should spring for a T5HO fixture instead of retrofitting my current lights with T8HOs?